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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black flies – Ben Howard
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tabbed by: Neil Wicker
Email: wicker101@hotmail.co.uk
Tuning: Standard
Capo 1 (all notes relative to capo)
This is the second Ben Howard song I've tabbed in standard tuning. It's for
people that don't want to retune or that want to play it live without multiple guitars
here's a clip of me playing it: http://soundcloud.com/wicker101/black-flies
Intro:
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--0-----0-----0--2--4--4—2p0--------------------------0-----0-----0--------|
A|------------------------------9-----9-----9-----0--------------------------|
E|--3--3--3--3--3---------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--3--3--3--3--3--------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2--4--4—-2p0---------2h4---5p4---4p2---2p0--0-----0-----0-----0-----0----|
A|----------------9----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------7--7--------------------------3--3--3--3--3--3-—3--3--3----|
e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-----0-----|
A|-----------|
E|--3--3-----|
Verse1:
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2--4--4—-2p0-----------------------------------0-----0-----0---|
A|----------------9-----9-----9-----9-----9-----0------------------|
E|----------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--3--3--3--3--3---|
Black flies on the windowsill
That we are
That we are
That we are to know
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2--4--4—-2p0--------------------------0-----0-----0--| x3
A|----------------9-----9-----9-----0--------------------|
E|----------------7--7--7--7--7--7—-7-—7--3--3--3--3--3--|
Winter stole summer's thrill
And the river's cracked and cold
See the sky is no man's land
A darkened plume to stay
Hope here needs a humble hand
Not a fox found in your place
e|------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2--4--4—2p0--------------------------0-----0-----0--------|
A|---------------9-----9-----9-----0--------------------------|
E|---------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--3--3--3--3--3--------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2--4--4—-2p0---------2h4---5p4---4p2---2p0--0-----0-----0-----0-----0----|
A|----------------9----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------7--7--------------------------3--3--3--3--3--3-—3--3--3----|
e|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|--------------------|
D|-----0-----0-----0--|
A|--------------------|
E|--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
Chorus:
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0------|
D|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--3--3--3--3--3--3--3------|
e|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-----0-----0-----|
D|-----0-----0-----| x2
A|-----------------|
E|--3--3--3--3--3--|
And no man is an island, oh this I know
But can't you see, oh?
Maybe you were the ocean, when I was just a stone
Verse 2: (same as verse 1)
Black flies on the windowsill
That we are
That we are
That we are to hold
Comfort came against my will
And every story must grow old
Still I'll be a traveler
A gypsy's reins to face
But the road is wearier
With that fool found in your place
Chorus x2
Ending:
I improved the ending as the chords that ben play in the tuning he does
This in don’t translate well to standard.
I played these chords:
022000
300000
790000
700000 x4
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
************************************

If you want to play this with a pick and not worry about the alternating fingerpicking notes, just play the G like a power chord. the 5th fret A- string makes a D note so it's the same as playing the D string open. Follow this same patter for all three chords: Notice I put in the A power chord between the B and G chord, which is that little walk up you hear in the song. These changes are all relative to the capo on 1st fret.